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Review Summary

There always seems to be room for more lightweight family fare during the holiday season, but this messy blend of silly slapstick and oversentimentality probably won't please children, teenagers or adults. In this unnecessary sequel to a mediocre remake, Tom Baker (Steve Martin) and his clan visit Lake Winnetka, which is also the regular summer dwelling of Tom's longtime archrival (Eugene Levy). Pairing Mr. Martin and Mr. Levy, whose characters' competitive antics are more infantile than those of their 20 combined children, could have produced some much-needed verve. But even they fail to inspire anything more than the occasional smile. This is a tiresome film, full of repetitive, misfired jokes, false emotions and caricatures. Surprisingly, Carmen Electra, as Mr. Levy's third, much younger, airheaded wife, strikes the closest resemblance to anything human. — Laura Kern